Engineer in Training Program for PG&E

Overview

For this project, I worked with a team to design and develop a virtual, 18-month training program for more than 100 new electrical and civil engineers. The client was PG&E, a large utility provider in Northern California.

Click the button below to read the PG&E article and learn more about the Engineer-in-Training (EIT) project.

Responsibilities

  • Learning Experience Designer

  • Instructional Designer

  • eLearning Developer

Business Problem

Highly qualified electrical engineers are paramount to the smooth operation of PG&E’s electric power grid system. Electrical engineers face complex, daily challenges: navigating internal and external standards for hundreds of electrical devices, coordinating with dozens of specialized design teams, and maintaining flawless designs that ensure field personnel safely return home to their families each night. One area that proves to be exceptionally challenging begins at the onset of their career: onboarding and training up to highly specialized design tasks.

Learning Solutions

We wanted to attack the harrowed “90 degree learning curve” by implementing a scaffolded, 4-phase training program that aligned with the following goals:

  • Design curricula that contextualize learning objectives through immediate, hands-on practice. 

  • Implement an integrated approach to onboarding that includes coursework, design challenges, substation visits, and mentorship.

  • Provide a robust mentorship program that ensures successful coaching experiences.

  • Create trackable, on-the-job training activities that expand on course content.

Deliverables

  • Task analyses (10+)

  • Virtual instructor led courses (10+)

  • Flipped classroom curriculua

  • eLearning modules (5+)

  • Web portal

  • Mentorship preparation materials

Stakeholder Feedback

Feedback from Senior Director

First, thank you for all of your hard work, passion, and dedication to client success. This kind of praise and recognition for your great work is huge. I have been really impressed by your collaboration and partnership with each other in addition to the quality work and long hours you put into supporting the engineering group.

Second, pivoting to the virtual delivery of an engineering training program may have been forced on us by COVID, but you have all responded with ingenuity and enthusiasm that is pushing innovation in a cost effective way that helps our clients address real business challenges.

Third, the fact that you have also volunteered extra hours and furlough time to help us reimagine portions of this program into new, digital delivery method for an internal project on top of your day jobs is really impressive.

Feedback from Project Sponsor

Your design vision, teamwork and collaboration with the business will benefit the 100+ new Design Engineers and will assist the organization in reducing design errors, and costs, and will also contribute to increased morale and retention of new engineers to complete this critical work!

Thank you for your dedication, perseverance, and exceeding expectations while balancing a new work environment.  BIG virtual high fives and pats on the back for the team.  KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!